Massachusetts ground fishing industry relief awards announced

Friday

Sep 26, 2008 at 7:10 PMOct 1, 2008 at 12:00 AM

BOSTON — In August, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announced the disbursement of $11.3 million in funds to more than 500 Massachusetts fishermen and fishing businesses who have suffered financial harm due to federal restrictions on ground fish harvesting.

BOSTON — In August, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announced the disbursement of $11.3 million in funds to more than 500 Massachusetts fishermen and fishing businesses who have suffered financial harm due to federal restrictions on ground fish harvesting.

In addition to the direct subsidies to commercial fishing permit holders, the Commonwealth will provide $750,000 to individual crew members by November, and contribute about $650,000 toward health insurance benefits for fishermen and their families.

The Patrick-Murray Administration previously estimated regional economic losses of $22 million due to federal regulatory restrictions on ground fishing, and in February 2007 formally requested that the federal government declare a fishery resource disaster.

After the federal government denied this request, Senators Edward Kennedy and John Kerry, with Commonwealth support, helped secure a federal appropriation of $13.4 million to aid the struggling ground fishing industry.